Honorary degree 2026: Bob Hauser’s lifelong love of the carnival brings joy to communities

Life is a carnival to Bob Hauser. In fact, he grew up on the midway.

In the outdoor amusement industry, you’re “in it” if you’re committed to working the carnival circuit, and “for it” if you love the lifestyle that accompanies it.

As the longtime leader of West Coast Amusements, Bob is definitely “for it.” He and his wife Wendy have derived great joy from bringing fun and entertainment to communities across western Canada for more than 60 years.

And he’s a big believer in giving back. Bob and Wendy are quiet supporters of food banks, sports organizations, and local causes in the communities they visit and the ones they call home. And in recent years, they’ve developed a bond with the University of the Fraser Valley through its golf team, supporting student athletes with a scholarship and hosting the annual Nick Taylor Charity Golf Tournament gala that raises funds for several causes, including UFV’s golf team.

West Coast Amusements is a local business success story, employing more than 40 people year-round and 400 when its multiple touring units head out across Western Canada each year.

In recognition of his leadership, sustained business success, and philanthropic generosity, the University of the Fraser Valley will present Bob with an honorary Doctor of Technology degree at its afternoon convocation ceremony on June 11.

It’s fitting that Bob will receive his UFV honorary doctorate at the ceremony for the Faculty of Applied and Technical Studies, as his company has employed many skilled tradespeople over the years to design, service, and maintain amusement rides and the complex systems and equipment required to operate a travelling carnival safely and successfully.

Bob has a thousand stories to tell, and it’s hard to get a word in edgewise when he starts to relate them.

He remembers driving halfway across the country with a crocodile in a box at his feet, back in the days when his father, the legendary Bingo Hauser, ran an animal act. Burying the family’s beloved lion in the backyard. Hearing how his grandfather got started in the business by selling lemonade by the ladleful.

Five generations of his family have spent their summers travelling the carnival circuit, bringing rides, games, and cotton candy to fairgrounds and community events across Western Canada.

And when they’re not travelling, those five generations have made the Fraser Valley their home. Bob and Wendy lived in Langley for decades and now reside in Chilliwack near several of their children and grandchildren.

Bob doesn’t have much of a poker face. When he talks about how he feels about receiving an honorary degree from UFV, his face lights up immediately.

“I felt absolutely over the top when I got the phone call!” he says. “I couldn’t believe it! Even now, when I think about it, I’m so honoured that I tear up when I think about it. In my life, I’ve had a lot of experiences, and this is top of the charts. I have received a lot of industry honours, but none are the same as this.”

Bob and Wendy have stepped back from the business of West Coast Amusements in recent years, leaving the operations to the following two generations. But he still gets itchy feet when carnival season comes around.

Now they’re focused on watching their grandchildren find success in adulthood, whether it be joining the family business or, in the case of grandson Zack Benson, playing for the Buffalo Sabres in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It means a lot to me to see my grandchildren pursuing sports, education, and their careers,” he says.

His enthusiasm for the success of his own family spills over into his support for his employees, the communities West Coast Amusements has travelled to for six decades, and the agricultural roots of the fairs his company visits each year.

As for his decades as part of the carnival circuit, he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“I have enjoyed my entire career. We got a lot of joy out of providing entertainment to communities across Canada. It’s great seeing how hard people worked with us to make that happen. And we have lifelong friends across the province.”

More photos of Bob and Wendy Hauser